Twitter started removing blue verified badges from profiles that do not have a Twitter Blue subscription April 20th onwards. The firm first stated that the historical blue ticks would be removed on April 1, however the modification only applied to certain accounts. However, Twitter and its owner, Elon Musk, appear to be sticking to their guns this time and insisting that all users sign up for a subscription in order to keep the blue badge.
Prior to Elon Musk’s takeover last year, Twitter verified public-interest accounts such as journalists, actors, politicians, and so on. Because there may be many false accounts of celebrities and significant profiles, the badge also signifies legitimacy. Musk, on the other hand, argues that the badge provides a status signal and that everybody on the network should be verified for a small fee.
Twitter has also established guidelines for verifying a profile. To subscribe to Twitter Blue, for example, an account must have been active in the last 30 days, according to Twitter. The account must also show no signs of being dishonest or misleading. Furthermore, only users with a verified mobile number are eligible for the platform’s blue tick. However, these safeguards may not be completely effective because there are numerous accounts on the network that are managed by individuals but display spam-like behavior. Simple verifications may reinforce their spam-like behavior on Twitter.
Elon Musk, the company’s owner, made the 4/20 joke when announcing Twitter’s decision to remove historical blue badges. The number is commonly linked with marijuana smokers, and Musk has previously made light of it after his photo of smoking marijuana on the Joe Rogan show went viral. He declared his plans to purchase Twitter around the same time last year. What was previously supposed to be a joke became true only a few months later.
Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Alia Bhatt are among the famous names that have lost their blue ticks on Elon Musk’s social media platform. Politicians such as CM Yogi Adityanath, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi, as well as players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, have also lost their verified blue ticks. Those who now pay for Twitter Blue, which costs USD 8/month via the web and USD 11/month via in-app payment on iOS and Android, will have access to verified blue check marks. Beyoncé, Pope Francis, Oprah Winfrey, and former US President Donald Trump are also among those who have lost their blue ticks.